Hearts So True
by em-ily8458
Summary: Ash started with Pikachu, and Gary started with Squirtle. But who started with Charmander and Bulbasaur? What are the stories of these two Trainers? (OC Submission form inside - CURRENTLY CLOSED) Rating for individual chapters. May go up to T. (Adventure/Friendship/Romance/Drama)
1. Intro and Info

**Hello all! So here's something I've been working on...lol.**

**And, yes, even though this is coming, I'm going to finish ****_It's Our Destiny._**

**So anyway, this story is going to be written in "snapshot" style. Each chapter will be a different clip of the OC's journeys, jumping between ages and time and such, but it'll all make sense. **

**Here's some information:**

We all known that Ash got Pikachu to start his journey and that Gary got Squirtle to start his journey. But who got Charmander and Bulbasaur? Who were these Trainers and what were their journeys like?

Meet Clementine, or Clem, Aspen. A stubborn, headstrong, shy, caring, and sarcastic girl from Viridian City who chooses Charmander as her started Pokémon. Though she and her Charmander, nicknamed Charlie, quickly forge a strong bond, they both face their share of problems and learn many valuable lessons along the way. They'll earn Gym Badges, Contest Ribbons, see the world, catch new Pokémon together, and make plenty of friends, along with Holly Pine and her Bulbasaur.

Holly Pine, a girl from a wealthy family Pallet, winds up with Bulbasaur as her starter Pokémon. She never wanted a thing to do with Pokémon, but her parents force her to go on a journey. Eventually, she comes to realize that they aren't that bad, and that Contests can be kinda fun. Still, she has to learn how to be there for her stubborn little Bulbasaur, as well as how to be a good friend to humans, such as Clem, a childhood friend of sorts/

Follow the two girls from day one of their Pokémon journeys to adulthood and see their progress.

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OC Submission Form:

Name:

Age:

Trainer Class:

Physical Appearance:

Clothing:

Personality:

Hometown:

Pokémon (up to six)

Species:

Gender:

Personality:

Moves:

Origin:

Role in the story: (one time character, travel companion (only 2 will be accepted!), Team Rocket member, rival, etc.)

Thanks! Please stay tuned, tell me your thoughts, and submit your OC's!


	2. Chapter One - Rated K

**Sorry nothing has been updated, I've been in California on vacation. This and _It's Our Destiny _WILL be updated though, I promise.**

**Still looking through OC submissions to decide who will go where, so hang tight.**

**Thanks for the support, likes, comments, reviews, etc. Hearing your thoughts really means a lot to me and helps me stay motivated to keep writing! :D**

**BTW: this story has undergone plot changes, so expect some differences and maybe more romance/drama in the teen year chapters.**

**Anyway...enjoy :)**

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Age in this chapter: 6

The kids in Pallet Town were always up to something. Always.

And today, a crisp, warm summer day for the residents of Pallet Town, was no different. The whole town could hear the four children - Ash Ketchum, Clem Aspen, Gary Oak and Holly Pine - whooping and hollering as they trampled through the woods right outside of town. Well, at least two of them were whooping and hollering, while the other two of them were following in a much less enthusiastic fashion.

"You're slower than a Slowpoke!" hollered Clem over her shoulder, her messy bangs and stubby brown pigtails flouncing as she ran. "You'll never catch me!"

"Yes I will!" Ash yelled playfully, picking up the pace. "I can run faster than Alakazam can teleport! You're the Slowpoke!"

"Then why am I ahead of you?" Clem giggled.

"You better run!" Ash laughed, as the two continued to dart, leaping over the small obstacles in their way. They were headed to a pond a small ways away from town, where the kids liked to play with the local Water-type Pokémon.

"Slow down, you losers!" Gary piped up, riding his bike a few feet behind Ash. "You'll scare away all the Pokémon with all the noise you're making!"

"You're just jealous that you're still slow on a bike!" Clem shouted back, smirking.

Gritting his teeth, Gary put the pedal to the metal on his bike. The one person that irritated him more than Ash Ketchum was Clem Aspen. She was like Ash, friendly, a bit naive, and always doing the right thing, the right way. However, she was more intelligent and less cocky than Ash, which made her all the more annoying, especially since she was a girl. That bugged Gary, a girl who had more potential as a Pokémon Trainer than he did. And he was the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak, for Arceus' sake.

Even further behind Gary was Holly, who was huffing and puffing, though she was only walking. She wasn't dressed for casual play like the others, she was dressed in a pleated pink skirt, a pink and green striped long-sleeved shirt, knee high pink socks with green lace trim, and dainty ballerina slippers that weren't at all suited for playing in the woods. She didn't even like playing in the woods. She didn't even like Pokémon, really. She just went along with the other three because she had to, because her parents said it was good for her to do something besides forcing their servants to have tea parties with her in the garden.

She liked the other kids enough, but she didn't fit in. They all loved Pokémon and loved all the rough-and-tough things Holly despised. Holly had hoped they'd have similar interests, and especially had this hope with Clem, a fellow girl. However, Clem soon proved to be too much of a tomboy and a daredevil to be a well-suited playmate to join in Holly's tea parties. Clem was nice, but Holly wished she'd fix her hair properly, dress in girl's clothes, and stop touching all of those disgusting Pokémon. Then, there was Gary, who was just mean, and Ash, who was nice, but was just as boyish and daredevilish as Clem was.

Up ahead, Clem skidded to a stop in the grass that encircled their favorite pond, as she exclaimed, "Yes! I win!"

Coming in a close second, Ash smiled and assured her, "Well, I'll beat you next time!"

"You're on!" Clem winked, before pulling her socks and sneakers off.

Both Ash and Clem stripped out of their clothes, revealing the bathing suits that they wore underneath, and leapt into the pond. Three Poliwag that lived there surfaced to greet the children, and the five individuals began a playful splash-fight, full of giggling and laughter.

Gary arrived shortly after that, and, though annoyed at being beaten in the race by Ash and Clem, hopped in the pond with the other two. He quickly got over it, and relaxed into playing with the Poliwag and Ash and Clem.

Of course, Holly was the last one to get there, and the least happy to be there. She settled on a rock nearby, crossing her legs as she attempted to fix her long green hair. It'd gotten messed up on the walk here, and it was one of her pet peeves. Unlike Clem, she was very concerned about her appearance, in particular, her hair.

"Holly! Why don't you come in the water with us?" Clem asked, hugging one of the Poliwag.

Looking to the three kids in the pond, Holly winced, seeing that they were all touching those disgusting Pokémon, and playing with them. It was just gross, in Holly's opinion. Time after time, Clem and Ash had tried to convince that the Pokémon, the Poliwag, were friendly and cute and totally not scary, but Holly refused to believe it. Pokémon had always been and will always be gross.

"I...I forgot my bathing suit," Holly replied, clearly fibbing.

"They're not gonna hurt you, y'know," Ash added. He lifted one into his arms and walked towards Holly, holding the blue Pokémon out in Holly's face for her to see, and then said, "Look, it's nice. It just wants to play."

"Poli!" the Pokémon grinned at the blue-haired girl.

"AGGHH!" Holly shrieked, leaping off her seat on the rock. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head with fear and disgust, as she cowered against a tree. In the process of knocking against the tree, she knocked a Caterpie out of the branches, which landed at her feet, only causing her to scream again.

Gary and Clem came out of the water, Gary holding the other two Poliwag, to try and calm Holly down. Clem walked over to her, and picked up the Caterpie at her feet, wrapping it in her arms.

"Are you okay?" Clem asked sweetly, petting Caterpie's head.

"Yeah...just get that thing away from me!" Holly responded.

"I wasn't talking to you," Clem said, but not rudely. "I was talking to Caterpie."

Holly's face fell, but then went back to one of disgust as she watched the Caterpie crawl over Clem's shoulders, causing the brunette girl to giggle. Totally gross.

"Why are you so scared of Pokémon?" Gary inquired. "You're gonna get your Starter Pokémon when we're ten. You shouldn't be so scared."

"I don't want a Starter!" Holly cried, tears suddenly coming into her eyes. She was traumatized by the Pokémon, and annoyed with everyone picking at her for not liking Pokémon. "I hate Pokémon!"

Before any of the other kids could respond, she'd sprinted off back towards town, leaving them and the Pokémon staring in her direction, astonished.

"I just don't get how she doesn't like Pokémon," Clem remarked after a few moments. "I can't wait to get my Starter! I've always wanted to pick Charmander!"

"Yeah?" Gary piped up. "Well, I'll choose Squirtle, and we'll beat your Charmander!"

"What?!" Ash shrieked. "I want Squirtle!"

"Well, I just got dibs on Squirtle!" Gary shouted.

"That's not fair!" Ash yelled. "You can't get dibs on Squirtle!"

"I think I just did!" Gary hollered.

Clem sighed, as she exchanged shrugs with Caterpie and the three Poliwag, before going back to playing with them and ignoring the boys' fighting. She liked her human friends enough, but her Pokémon friends were always better.


	3. Chapter Two - Rated K

**As always, thanks for the support! Keep telling me what you think, I honestly love hearing your thoughts. **

**Also, I'd like to make an OC request - I'd like some love interests for Clem and Holly. Yes, in the end, they'll end up with actual canon characters, but the plot requires a few short term love interests if you'd like to send them in. Thanks :)**

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AGE IN THIS CHAPTER: 10

Today was the day. It was the day that three of the four kids in Pallet Town had been waiting for their whole lives, and the day that one was dreading - the day they were to get their first Pokémon from Professor Oak.

At 11 o'clock, right on time, Gary, Holly and Clem arrived at Oak's lab to get their Pokémon. While Gary and Clem couldn't be more excited, Holly couldn't be further from excited. She didn't want a Pokémon. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with Pokémon, at all, but her parents insisted learning to handle Pokémon, and that it would help her grow as a person and that it'd be good for her. How training a disgusting Pokémon would be good for her, she didn't know. But her parents, surprisingly, weren't giving in on this one - they usually gave her her way, but not this time. She was going to get a Pokémon whether she liked it or not.

And now that the PokéDexes were handed out, Holly was even less excited.

As Professor Oak readied the three Pokéballs, Clem clutched her PokéDex tightly, saying, "I'm worried about Ash...he's always been so excited to get a Pokémon...so where is he?"

Holly shrugged, since she'd been wondering the same thing and didn't have an answer, while Gary brushed it off, replying, "Whatever, don't worry about Ashy Boy. If I were you I'd worry about losing a Pokémon Battle to me in a few minutes."

"Oh, whatever," Clem rolled her eyes as she'd spoke. Since they'd gotten older, she'd gotten bit less like Ash, meaning that she'd developed more of an attitude than Ash ever had. "I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you."

Narrowing his eyes, Gary opened his mouth to spit a comeback, but shut his mouth when his grandfather turned around, revealing a table with three Pokéballs. They each had a sticker on the front red half indicating which Pokémon was inside - a leaf symbol on Bulbasaur's, a fire symbol on Charmander's and a water symbol on Squirtle's. Seeing them, Gary and Clem's eyes widened with excitement and anticipation, while Holly's narrowed with disgusted.

"Alright, now, we're going to do this in the fairest way possible," Professor Oak began. "We're going to go by alphabetical order, by last name. That means Clem, you'll be choosing your Starter Pokémon first, so, please, take your pick."

Taking a deep breath, a huge grin came over Clem's face as she stepped forward. She already knew which Pokémon she wanted. She wanted Charmander, a Fire-type, like her grandparents' pet Growlithe, Rory. Without any hesitation, she grabbed the Pokéball and clutched it tight in her hand, feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness, excitement, and hope like she'd never felt before in her life.

"Good choice," Professor Oak nodded with a slight grin. "Now, Gary, you may choose your Pokémon."

"Easy," Gary piped up, stepping forward to grab Squirtle's Pokéball. "I choose Squirtle."

"Fine choice," the Professor nodded again. Looking to Holly, he added, "I guess that leaves you with Bulbasaur, Holly."

"Okay," Holly choked.

Hesitantly, she took a step towards the table, and picked up the remaining Pokéball with a shaky hand. She didn't want this creature anywhere near her, let alone in her hand, with only a bit of Pokéball metal separating them.

Just a few feet away, Clem and Gary had already released their new Pokémon, and were starting to get to know them.

"Hi there," Clem greeted, kneeling down to be of equal height with her new Pokémon. "My name's Clem, and I hope that you and I can become best friends as we travel together."

"Char?" the orange lizard-like Pokémon seemed to inquire, as it stared at the brunette girl with a kind of awe.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to be a good friend to you," Clem assured Charmander. "I'm just a kid and just starting out, but I want to be the best Pokémon Trainer I can be, with you as my friend and partner. Okay?"

"Char!" the Pokémon agreed, already feeling a kinship with the girl.

"Okay," Clem smiled, rubbing Charmander on the head. She then pulled a baby-blue ribbon from her pocket, and offered it to Charmander, saying, "My grandma and grandpa and I got this for you. If you're a boy, you can wear it on your neck, and if you're a girl, it can be a headband, if you want to, of course."

"Charmander," it agreed again, bowing its head.

"Oh, so you're a girl?" Clem asked.

"Charmander," Charmander nodded, then pointing to her head again.

"Okay," Clem replied, carefully tying the ribbon into a bow on Charmander's head. "There we go. What do you think?"

"Char!" she exclaimed, smiling and flashing a model-esque pose.

Giggling, Clem then asked, "Do you want a nickname?"

"Mander," Charmander nodded.

"Okay," Clem replied. "How about something simple, like...Charlie?"

"Char!" the Pokémon exclaimed, leaping into her new Trainer's arms for a hug. In the process, they both fell to the floor, giggling.

It was evident already that Clem and Charlie the Charmander were going to make a good team.

Standing off to the side, watching Clem and Charlie and Gary and Squirtle, were Professor Oak and Holly, who hadn't moved a muscle since taking Bulbasaur's Pokéball from the table.

Turning to Holly, Professor Oak suggested, "Holly, why don't you let Bulbasaur out and get to know it?"

"Um...okay," Holly agreed, hesitantly agreeing as she released Bulbasaur.

She stared at the blue and green Pokémon before her, who stared back at her with a kind of sour attitude. Without knowing what else to do, she pointed her Pokédex at it, which said: "Bulbasaur. It bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely calm and very difficult to capture in the wild. This Bulbasaur is MALE."

"Go on, get to know Bulbasaur," Professor Oak urged. Seeing Holly's unwillingness, he repeated, "Go on."

"Oh...okay," she mumbled, crouching down to try and pet Bulbasaur's head. However, before she even got close, Bulbasaur smacked her hand away with a powerful Vine Whip, which caused Holly to exclaim, "OUCH!"

"Oh, yes, Bulbasaur has quite the feisty personality," Professor Oak chuckled. "Unlike most Bulbasaurs. The two of you should make an interesting pair."

An 'interesting pair,' didn't even come close to what Holly and Bulbasaur would end up being.

k


End file.
